Convertible heating and cooling system



. CONVERTIBLE HEATING AND COOLING 'SYSTEM Filed Feb. "10, 1936 v INVENTOR Q0 F LKE R NDEL Maw ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 16, 1937 V- UNITED STATES! IPA-Tsar OFFICE CONVERTIBLE HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM Bo Folke Randel, San Diego, Calit. Application February 10, 1936, Serial No. 68,172' 1 Claim. '(01. 257-9) (Granted under the/ act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) My invention relates to heating and cooling systems and it has for its principal object the provision of a system'which. is simple to operate and which may be alternately usedfor either heating or cooling by the manipulation of a few valves. The different parts'oi the system remain unchanged whether they function as heating means or as cooling means.

Another object of the invention is the provision' of a chambered temperature control element in which heat' is absorbed or given up, as desired, whereby the element is capable of functioning as a conventional heat radiator of a heating systeni or as a' conventional evaporator of a refrigerating system.

When operating as a heating system, the element or elements will be supplied with a vaporized heating medium such as steam, which is condensed in the same to pass its' latent heat to the portion to be heated. When operating as a l cooling system, the cycle will be reversed in that a liquid'refrigerant such as water will be supplied to the same element or elements, which now will act as evaporators and in which the refrigerant will be vaporized by the reduction of the pressure, thus absorbing heat from the surrounding environments The boiler, condenser, vacuum pump,,ejector, etc., may be constructed in many different ways.

Local controlvalves may be added as desired.

. Float valves, pressure reducing valves, safety devices, recording devices, thermostatic control devices may be added as desired.

5 With these and other objects in view, as well as other advantages whichrmay be incident to the .use of the improvements, the I invention consists of the parts and combinations thereof hereinaiter set forth and claimed with the underexplanation, have been made the subject of illustration. i

In the accompanying drawing? Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing my system, consisting or a boiler, a vacuum pump, a

condenser, ejectors and two radiators; I 1

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form of radiator element. Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the invention is shown as comprising a pair of convertible heat radiatingrand heat absorbing elements or units l0 and II communicating with a steam inlet header I2 diilerent types or through laterals l3 and I4 respectively, and with a condensate return header l5 through return laterals l8 and I1 respectively, the former including a trap l8 andvalve l9, and the latter including a trap 20 and valve 2|. The inlet header l2 communicates with a steam boiler 22-, provided with a suitable source .of heat 23, through valve 21 with a chamber 28, which inturn communicates with a receiver or tank 29, containing a. pipe 24 controlled by a valve 25. The return header licommunicates through a pipe 26 and a cooling coil 30 and partially filled with a liquid,

through a pipe 3| provided with a Venturitube 32. Reduced pressure is maintained within the chamber '28 by means of an ejector 33 thro h which liquid is projected at high velocity y, neans of a pump 34 which communicates with the tank 29 through a pipe 35 and which isdriven by' an electric motor 36. Water of condensation is returned to the boiler 22 through a pipe 31 communicating with the injector 33. I

Water' or other liquid refrigerant is supplied to the elements ill and through pipes 38 and 39 respectively, provided with float 'actuatedcheck valves 40 and 4|, the pipe 38 being additionally provided with a manually operable valve 42. The pipes 38 and 33 communicate at their lower ends with the laterals l6 and II respectively, which also communicate through return header l5 with a pipe 43 in turn communicating with the pipe 31 and controlled by a valve 44.

The system also includes ejector nozzles 45 and 46 for projecting a fluid at high velocitythrough Venturi tubes 41 and 48 provided in the laterals l3 and- I4 respectively. These nozzles communi-,

cate with a'high pressure main 49 through pipes 50 and 5| which in turn communicatewith'the boiler 22 through a .pipe 52 and valve .53. The fluid projected through the Venturi tubes 41' and 33 during the cooling cycle and laterals l3 and I4 passes to the low pressure chamber 28 through the low pressure header l2 and a pipe 54 and valve 55; From the chamber 28 the fluid is returned to the boiler 22 through the Venturi tube 32, pipe 3|, tank 23, pipe. Dump 34, ejector 33, and pipe 3.1-

To better illustrate the operation of the system, arrows are employed to indicate the direction of flow of the liquids under different conditions.- The arrows marked it indicate the direction of 5 flow of the fluid when the system is employed for heating purposes, and the arrows marked indicate the direction of flow of the fluids when the system is employed for cooling purposes.

When the system is operated as a heater the valves 25 and 2'iare opened and the valves 44, 52 and 55 are closed. Under these conditions steam generated in the boiler 22 passes through pipe 24 and valve 25. to the'header i2 and thence through the laterals l3 and- H to the radiators l0 and ii. The steam condensed in the radiators passes through the check valves is and 2| and traps l8 and 20 to the return laterals i6 and I!- 'and thence through the return header |5,.and pipe 26 and valve 21 to the reduced pressure chamber 28, the flow of the condensate being caused by the suction developed by the injector jet 33 and Ventm'i tube 32 and by the condensate being entrained by the fluid injected. From the chamber 2| the condensate passes through the Venturi tube 32 and pipe 2| into the receiving tank 29, where it collects. The pump 24 draws the water from the tank 2! through pipe 35 and forces it through therear end of the injector 32 and pipe 21 back to the boiler 22.

When the system is operated for cooling purposes the valves 44, 52 and ii are opened and the valves 25 and 21 are closed. Under these conditions the flow of the cooling medium is practically reversed in that the water or other refrigerant will pass upwardly under pressure through pipe 42 and valve 44 into the main l and thence upwardly through laterals l6 and I1, pipes 38 and 29, manually operable valve 42 and float valves 40 and I into the radiator elements "I and H.

It will be-noted that the pressure of the liquid rei'rigerant maintains the check valves is and 2| closed,- and that the float valves ll and 4| control the amount of refrigerant injected into the elements II and II so as to maintain a desired 15 liquid level.

Steam: or vaporized refrigerating medium will also pass from the boiler 22 through the pipe 52 and valve 53 into the main 4! and thence through the pipes 50 and ii to the injector nozzles 45 and 50 48 through which it is projected at high velocity into the Venturi tubes 41 and 48. The suction thus produced in the elements It and l l causes the evaporation of the refrigerant therein and the resultant absorption of heat from the surrounding environment. From the laterals Handil the steam flows into the low pressure header I2 and thence through the pipe 54 and valve 55 into the low pressure chamber 28 under the suction developed by the injector jet 22. At this point the 4 so steam is entrained by the liquid projected'by the injector and is .carried thereby through the Venturi tube 22, and pipe 3| into the receiving tank 29, where it is cooled and condensed by the coil ll, The condensate then passes back to the 65 boiler through the pipe 35, pump 34, ejector 32 and pipe 31 as before.

The radiator element i0 embodies upper and lower headers 56 and 51 respectively, and connecting pipes "of conventional construction. The

element I I, however, is shown as comprising a plurality of superimposed spaced evaporating pans 59 communicating with one another through overflow pipes 60 and in which the liquid refrigerant flows downwardly. Both of the twoitypes of radiators are suitable for either heating or coolingpurposes.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated still another form of radiator element. In this construction upper and lower headers GI and 62 are connected by vertical pipes 63 provided with heat radiating fins 64. Pipes 65 of smaller diameter extend vertically through the pipes 63 in spaced relation therewith. The purpose of this arrangement is to cause circulation of the heating or cooling medium between the headers 6i and 62, the medium between the pipe and pipe 65 being relativelyv warm will flow upwardly, while the medium within the pipe 65 being relatively cold will flow downbe employed as a refrigerant such as ammonia,

hydrocarbons, sulphurdioxide, for example.

Other modifications and changes in the proportions and arrangement of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the nature and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claim.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

' I claim:

In a convertible heating and cooling system. the combination of a chambered temperature controlling element; a boiler for supplying heated vapor under pressure; a source of liquid refrigerant; an ejector for reducing the pressure within said element; valve means for establishing communication between said element and said boiler when the system is employed for heating purposes, and for interrupting the aforesaid communication when thesystem is employed for cooling purposes; valve means for establishing communication between said element and said supply of refrigerant and also between said ejector and said boiler under pressure to accelerate the rate of evaporation of the refrigerant, when the system is employed for cooling purposes, a condenser communicating with said element and said boiler; and an injector for withdrawing liquid of condensation and vaporized refrigerant from said element and forcing the same into said condenser; and a pump for operating said injector and for withdrawing liquid refrigerant from said condenser and forcing the same into said element when the system is employed'for cooling purposes and for withdrawing liquid from said condenser and forcing the same into said boiler when the system is employed for heating purposes. 

